Puerto Rico raises hurricane's official death count to 34

by The Associated Press

CORRECTS FROM MORAVIS TO MOROVIS- Angel Rodriguez poses next to his belongings in front of his house, destroyed by Hurricane Maria, in the San Lorenzo neighborhood of Morovis, Puerto Rico, Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017. Rodriguez said that it rained and rained. "I was really afraid on the night of the hurricane. But the important thing is to be alive," he said. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

The governor of Puerto Rico says the official death toll from Hurricane Maria has been increased to 34 from 16.

Gov. Ricardo Rossello also says he believes the hurricane caused $90 billion in damage across the island.

The governor made the announcement at a news conference following U.S. President Donald Trump's short visit to the U.S. territory to assess the storm's impact.

During his stop, Trump congratulated Puerto Ricans for avoiding a high death toll of "a real catastrophe like Katrina." As many as 1,800 people died in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina breached levees protecting New Orleans.